Page 28 - aruba-today-20171111

A28 SCIENCE
Saturday 11 November 2017

In harsh corner of Uganda, herders fight climate change

By ADELLE KALAKOUTI
Associated Press
NAMALU, Uganda (AP)
— The sun is setting over
Karamoja. Time for the
nomadic herders to re-
turn their cattle to thorn-
ringed enclosures. They’ve
roamed since first light,
searching for pasture in
Uganda’s poorest region
where water and grazing
land are scarce.
Now the changing cli-
mate has brought hunger
and bewilderment as tra-
ditional coping methods
for the harsh environment
fail. As the first major global
climate conference con-
venes in Germany since
President Donald Trump
announced that the U.S.
will pull out of the 2015 Paris
accord, many in Africa fear In this photo taken Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2017, Karamojong man Mudang Lowal, 62, left, counts the animals in his herd shortly after
they will be hit harder than leading them back to their enclosure, in the semi-arid savannah region of Karamoja, in northeastern Uganda.
most. Associated Press
In Karamoja, as in many crop failures and lower milk “It is just desperation of nomena of El Nino and La Ichomot said many farmers
rural areas of Africa, cattle production. The Karamo- hunger that forces us to eat Nina, which are increasing have embraced them.
are highly valued, a source jong, who had developed such things,” said 72-year- in frequency. The reception by the wid-
of prestige and wealth. early warning systems for old Nakoki Nayep. Temperatures in the region er community has been
From a young age, Kar- the punishing environment The region is already vul- are set to rise by 0.8 de- mixed, in part because of
amojong men build their based on wind direction, nerable after decades of grees Celsius over the next traditional beliefs. Some
herds to be used as dowry animal behavior and the political upheaval. Thirty 20 years and 2.3 degrees pastoralists have resisted,
for marriage. Now they flowering of trees, now feel years of widespread con- Celsius by the end of the especially after Uganda’s
look to the rainless sky in off-balance. flict among herders ended century if no measures are government in recent years
frustration. “The seasons are now dif- when Uganda’s govern- taken, the authority says. prioritized permanent set-
“We have just had to bear ferent,” said Michael Lok- ment swept in and forced Rainfall levels also are pro- tlements and crop farming.
with it because we have wameri, a father of seven them to disarm. An esti- jected to increase, by 5 Some critics say cultural
nowhere to go,” said children. mated 82 percent of the percent over the next 20 identity, including freedom
62-year-old Mudang Lowal. As tradition dictates, when population lives in absolute years and 15 percent by of movement for cattle,
In northeastern Uganda, changes in nature are no- poverty, compared to the the end of the century. must be respected.
Karamoja’s semi-arid sa- ticed, village elders gather national average of 31 per- Despite the growing rain- The official in charge of
vannah borders Kenya’s at a local shrine to decide cent. Aid groups such as fall, water reserves will be programs in Karamoja for
Turkana region and South on a way forward. the World Food Program compromised by the rise in the prime minister’s of-
Sudan. The vast region, a This year, the fruitless tama- provided emergency food temperature and evapo- fice, Francis Lowoth Okori,
tenth of Uganda’s land, has rind trees tell the elders that aid to Karamoja for more ration, Omony said. That stressed the need to aban-
seen rising temperatures for the upcoming dry season than 40 years. will lead to more disease don handouts and devel-
the past 35 years. will not be as severe as last Climate change brings and the disappearance of op sustainable assistance
Rainfall is poor and unreli- year’s, said elder Max Ad- more uncertainty, experts once-resilient indigenous to fight the region’s hunger
able. Long dry spells and jaka during a gathering in say. crops. and poverty.
flash floods have become his village in Nakapiripirit “For the case of Karamo- The use of drought-resistant After last year’s drought,
more frequent in the past district. ja, the increase or the rise crops and tree planting Ugandan officials met with
decade. Last year, more than half in temperature had been are encouraged to help aid groups. “We said, ‘What
Historically, the rainy sea- of Karamoja’s population, taken for more than 30 the population adapt. In is the problem?’ And actu-
son runs from April to Sep- or about 640,000 people, years,” said William George Namalu, the German gov- ally, we found the problem
tember and the dry season faced food shortages. Omony, senior meteorolo- ernment-backed GIZ de- is water,” Okori said. The
from November to March, Many resorted to selling gist at the Uganda National velopment agency trains next step is the construc-
creating one harvest per their cattle or begging in Meteorological Authority. the Karamojong in sustain- tion of at least 10 more
year. But now that pat- the streets. Others ate wild He attributed last year’s able agricultural practices. dams across Karamoja, he
tern has changed, causing plants. drought to the global phe- Learning assistant Caroline said.q